The present invention relates to certain aspects of cleansing of surgical tools and the like and more particularly to a strategy of such cleansing involving use of sealed wash enclosures for the hand grip sections of surgical tools (e.g. cutters, graspers, forceps, biopsy needles, punches, etc.) and more particularly micro-surgery models of such tools.
During stomach/abdominal region surgery, this area of the body is expanded by pressurized gas inflation (insufflation) to enhance access to internal organs. Surgical instruments and adjuncts (cannulae, etc.) pierce the external and internal body walls in a sealed, essentially air-tight manner. One consequence of this approach is that such tools (the instruments and adjuncts) comprise narrow tubes penetrating body walls and the pressure of the insufflated area forces loose pieces of tissue into the tube. The tool cannot be sterilized and re-used until such pieces are removed. Air flushing, wire and brush (pipe-cleaner like) probes and other conventional artifacts are ineffective.
Analogous problems can occur in tools outside the area of surgery.
It is a principal object of the present invention to overcome the above problem with a practical, effective strategy.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact, portable means for fluid cleaning (generally water washing) of such tools using local water/drain facilities and to assure ease of insertion/removal of tools to be cleaned, ease of connection to fluid supplies/drains, accommodation of different tool sizes, avoidance of loss of parts of the package, light weight, economy and ease of manufacture as well as ease of cleanability of the package itself.